Portable concrete conveyer



June 1, 1937. w. H. REIMANN PORTABLE CONCRETE CONVEYER Filed Dec. 18, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 1, 1937. w. Hf REIMANN 2,031,956

PORTABLE CONCRETE CONVEYER Filed Dec. 18, 1955 2 Sheet s-Sheet 2 Patented June 1, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE aosisiic PORTABLE ,concaa'ra comma William 11. Reimann, Miami Shores, Fla. Application December 1a, 1935, Serial No. 55,113

I 4 Claims.

This invention is directed to a portable concrete conveying and delivering mechanism, wherein concrete is delivered from a source of supply to a point of use at any distance from the point of supply and at any elevation with respect thereto.

Concrete conveying machines involving the use of openchutes, endless bucket chains and traveling aprons have been heretofore provided, but all such structures lack convenient means for extending delivery length, controlling delivery elevation for any length, and insuring absolutely against leakage or loss of concrete during delivery.

The present invention maintains the concrete in a closed conduit and feeds it in a substantially continuous stream therethrough, the construction providing for convenient and ready adjustment in the length of the conduit and for r controlling the elevation of the delivery end of the conduit from a. horizontal to substantially a vertical plane.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanythe endless cable and conveying flights beingshown in position.

Figure 7 is a section on line 1-1 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a section on line 8'-B of Figure 2.

Figure 9 is a face view of one of the conveyer flights.

Figure 10 is a vertical section through the same.

The improved machine comprises a wheel supported chassis i, the'ground wheels 2 of which are carried thereby in any usual or conventional manner and arranged for steering or other control in any usual or preferred manner.

Mounted upon the chassis l, preferably near one end thereof, is a motor 3 provided with the conventional clutch and transmission control which are unnecessary to illustrate. A sprocket wheel 4 on the drive shaft of the motor is connected by a chain 5 cooperating with an enlarged sprocket 6 secured upon a shaft 1' rotatably mounted in bearings 8 supported upon bed plates 9 rising from the chassis.

Secured centrally on the shaft I is a disklike driving wheel l0, provided with a series of radially arranged driving abutments or teeth H. The abutments II are of identical construction including a'body section i2 mounted to slide between radial guides I3 on one face of the disk ill. The inner end of the body I! has a' lateral ear l4 threaded to receive a set-screw 15, the inner end of which bears on a plain portion l6 of the hub I! of the disk l0. Thus, the abutments or teeth may be adjusted radially of the disk ID. A clamping bar l8 overlies the body I! and is secured by set-screws 19 taking into the guides l3, thus clamping the abutments in adjusted'position. The abutments extend beyond the peripheral edge of the disk in and are integrally formed to provide an enlarged head 20 formed in the free end with a depression or channel 2|, the bottom 22 of the channel curving upwardly in the direction of operative movement of the abutment to compensate for necessary rotationof the driving wheel, without causing sharp bends in such cable.

The operative face of the head 20 isrounded at 23 to reduce frictional contact with the conveyer flights to be later referred to.

An adjusting frame 24 made up of rectangular side frames 25 and upper and lower cross bracing strips 26 is mounted at the inner end for swinging movement on and with respect to the shaft 1. The adjusting frame 24 is for this purpose provided with terminal eyes 21 freely embracing the shaft 1 on each side of the driving wheel ID, with collars 28 preventing movement of the adjusting frame axially of the shaft I.

Upper and lower conduit sections 29 and 30 are secured rigidly in spaced parallel relation in the adjusting frame, the upper conduit terminating at one end in a flared outlet 3! substantially on a plane with and adjacent the plane of movement of the abutments H on the driving wheel. The conduit section 30 terminates in a flared inlet 32 adjacent and substantially on a plane with the lower plane of movement of the abutments II.

The frame carried conduit sections 29 and 30 extend beyond the adjusting frame 24 in a direction away from the driving wheel and are there connected to upper and lower conduits 33 and 34 by conventional couplings 35 provided to insure continuity of the conduits and relative rigidity at the joint. The conduit secchange in direction of the endless cable in the tions 33 and 34, forming uninterrupted continuations of the conduit sections 28 and 38, are interbraced and connected for rigidity by transverse brace members 38, which engage and secure in relatively fixed positions, the conduit sections 33 and 34. In the example illustrated, the intermediate conduit sections 33 and 34 are terminally connected by rigid couplings 38 with delivery conduit sections 31 and 38 rigidly secured in fixed parallel relation by transverse braces and connectors 38.

The upper conduit section 31 terminates in a flared inlet 48 while the lower conduit section 38 terminates in a flared outlet 4|. The brace bars 38, which may if desired form part of the frame to maintain rigidity, are provided with guide bars 42 on each side on which are slidably mounted plates 43 carrying bearings 44 for a. shaft 48 on which is keyed an idler wheel 48 having a peripheral channel 41 and of a diameter sufficient to dispose the upper plane of the idler wheel slightly below, and the lower plane of the idler wheel slightly above, the conduit sections 31 and 38.

The lower receiving section conduit 38 com-.

munlcates with a receiving hopper or source of concrete supply for the machine indicated at 48, .the bottom of the hopper being open to the interior of the conduit section 38 so that the concrete in the hopper will readily gravitate into the section 38.

An endless cable 43 is arranged to pass over the I driving wheel through the conduits and over the cable 48 is passed, a set-screw 85 securing the flight to the cable while at the same time providing for adjustable spacing of the flights on the cable at will.

It will be apparent that with the details described arranged in cooperative relation, the endless cable and flights will be compelled to travel through the lower conduit sections 38, 34 and 38,

' over the idler wheel 46 and back through the conduit sections 31, 33 and 28 to the driving wheel. Driving power is imparted to the cable through the cooperation of the flights 88 with the heads 28 of the abutments ll of the driving wheel, it being noted that in this driving contact the rounded face 23 of the abutments and the convex face 52 of the flights are in contact to avoid undue friction and compensate for any irregularities in exact relative positions.

Concrete delivered to the hopper 48 will continually gravitate to the conduit section 38 and as the flights 88 move therethrough, the concrete accumulated in the section will be moved in a substantially continuous stream through the sections 38, 34 and 38 and delivered through the funnel mouth 4| to the point of use.

As previously stated, that end of the conduit section next the driving wheel is rigidly mounted in the adjusting frame 24, which latter is swingingly mounted with the shaft 1, and that all conduit sections, as well as the idler wheel, are rigidly supported with respect to each other and thus form in eflect a unit with the adjusting frame 24. The latter is mounted for adjustment through the medium of an adjusting cable 88 connected at 88 to the free end ofthe adjusting frame, passing over an idler 81 of a super-structure 88 supported on the chassis and leading to a drum 88 operated by a handle 88 through appropriate gearing 8i. Thus, the free end of the conduit and particularly the delivery outlet 4! of the lower conduit may be elevated to practically any position between the horizontal and vertical with respect to the frame of the machine. This provides a very'convenient means for insuring delivery of the concrete at substantially any limit of height within the possibilities of the apparatus A concrete leveling device is arranged in the hopper in the form of a steel wiper 82 made up of spring steel bristles or sections conforming at their lower ends to the conduit section 38. This wiper prevents excess concrete from entering the conduit in advance of the flights.

The idler, or more particularly the bearings thereof, is adjustable through the conventional means illustrated at 83 to compensate for stretch of the cable.

A single intermediate conduit section is illustrated, but it is to be understood that more than one such intermediate section may be used in order to increase the overall length of the machine, or that, if desired, the intermediate section may be eliminated or made of different lengths to readily adapt the overall length of the machine for the particular work in hand.

As constructed, the mixed concrete is delivered from the hopper 48 to the point of use without possibility of leakage and waste intermediate the hopper and delivery. The expense of wastage is thus avoided, but more particularly there is no unsightly leakage between the-receiving and delivery points, and thus the ordinary messy and objectionable accumulation of concrete along the path of delivery is entirely avoided. This is a highly desirable advantage as the conduits may be elevated over a sidewalk and pedestrians pass beneath the conduits with absolute security against concrete leakage. The conduit sections may be separated when not desired for use to reduce the overall length of the machine for convenient travel along the street, and in this connection it is to be understood that, though not illustrated, the motor 3 may be well adapted through conventional mechanism for driving the machine from place to place when desired. The conduit sections need not necessarily be of large diameter for the delivery of concrete is substantially continuous, enabling considerable quantities to be delivered through relatively small diameter conduits in a short space of time.

It will thus be apparent that the device is completely portable and, while described in connection with the handling of concrete, it is to be understood that it is equally effective in the handling of any materials capable of being moved through the conduits.

What is claimed to be new is:

l. A concrete conv'eyer including a wheeled frame, a driven shaft mounted thereon, a relatively narrow adjusting frame supported at one end on and for free swinging movement relative to the shaft, upper and lower conduits rigid with the frame and extending in one direction beyond the frame, auxiliary conduit sections supported from and forming continuations of the upper and lower conduits carried by the frame, a feeding means driving wheel mounted on the shaft rearwardly of the swinging frame. an idler a,'osi,ose.

wheel carried by one of the auxiliary conduit sections, endless feeding means passing through the conduits of the swinging frame, the conduits of the auxiliary frames and over the driving and idler wheels, and a material hopper mounted in the swinging frame immediately above and in open communication with the lower conduit of that frame between the respective ends of such conduit.

2. A concrete conveyer including a wheeled frame, a driven shaft mounted thereon, a relatively narrow adjusting frame supported at one end on and for free swinging movement relative to the shaft, upper and lower conduits rigid with the frame and extendingin one direction beyond the frame, auxiliary conduit sections supsorted from and forming continuations of the upper and lower conduits carried by the frame. a feeding means driving wheel mounted on the shaft rearwardly of the swinging frame, an idler wheel carried by one of the auxiliary conduit sections, endless feeding means passing through the conduits of the swinging frame, the conduits of the auxiliary frames and over the driving and idler wheels, and a material hopper mounted in the swinging frame immediately above and in open communication with the lower conduit of that frame between the respective ends of such conduit, the endless feeding means including flights accurately fitting the interior sectional area of the conduits.

3. A concrete conveyer including a wheeled frame, a driven shaft mounted thereon. a relatively narrow adjusting frame supported at one end on and for free swinging movement relative to the shaft, upper and lower conduits rigid with the frame and extending in one direction beyond the frame, auxiliary conduit sections supported from and forming continuations of the upper and lower conduits carried by the frame, a feeding means driving wheel mounted on the shaft rearwardly of the swinging frame, an idler wheel carried by one of the auxiliary conduit sections, endless feeding means passing through the conduits of the swinging frame, the conduits of the auxiliary frames and over the driving and idler wheels, and a material hopper mounted in the swinging frame immediately above and in open communication with the lower conduit of that frame between the respective ends of such conduit, the idler wheel being longitudinally adjustable to maintain the endless feeding means properly tensioned to avoid undue wear on the conduits in the travel of the feeding means.

4. A concrete conveyer including a wheeled frame, a driven shaft mounted thereon, a relatively narrow adjusting frame supported at one end on and for; free swinging movement relative to the shaft,- upper and lower conduits rigid with the frame and extending in one direction beyond the frame, auxiliary conduit sections supported from and forming continuations of the upper and lower conduits carried by the frame, a feeding means driving wheel mounted on the shaft rearwardly of the swinging frame, an idler wheel carried by one of the auxiliary conduit sections, endless feeding means passing through the conduits of the swinging frame, the conduits of the auxiliary frames and over the driving and idler wheels, a material hopper mounted in the swinging frame immediately above and in open communication with the lower conduit of that frame between the respective ends of such conduit, and operating means on the wheeled frame including a cable connected to the end of the swinging frame remote from the driven shaft for swinging said swinging frame and connected parts as a unit to vary delivery elevation from the lower conduit.

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